Robert Oxnam
Robert Oxnam | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 14 December 1942[citation needed] United States |
| Title | President Emeritus of the Asia Society |
| Spouse | Dr. Vishakha N. Desai |
| Website | www |
Robert Bromley Oxnam is an American China scholar and President Emeritus of the Asia Society New York. He ran the society for more than a decade, and led financial-cultural tours of China for Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and former U.S. President George H. W. Bush. He became well known in the public media after his 2005 autobiography, A Fractured Mind, in which he revealed that he had been diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder.
Early life and education
Robert Oxnam was educated at
Career
Robert Oxnam was President of The Asia Society for over a decade (1981–92).[2] The Asia Society, America's leading public education institution on all aspects of the Asia/Pacific region, grew rapidly under his direction to encompass corporate, contemporary, and cultural programs concerning over thirty Asian countries, with a New York headquarters and offices in Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Houston, and Hong Kong. Prior to his presidency, he served as the Society's Vice President and Washington D.C. Center Director (1979–81) and as China Council Director (1975–81).
Since the 1990s, Oxnam has often acted as a lecturer for prominent Americans seeking in-depth knowledge of China, including Bill Gates (Microsoft) and Warren Buffett (Berkshire Hathaway) and former President George H. W. Bush and Mrs. Barbara Bush. He has been Senior Advisor to the Atlanta-based Society of International Business Fellows and often accompanied their business leaders to various parts of Asia. For a short time he was also Special Correspondent for the MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour,[3] hosting an acclaimed nine-part special on China.
Robert Oxnam is the author of two novels (both from
In 2005, he published his unusual memoir: A Fractured Mind (
.In 2003–06, he was Visiting Professor at
In recent years, Oxnam has embarked on an artistic career — making weathered wood sculptures and doing macro-lens photography of glacial rocks — in the great tradition of Chinese scholars rocks. In recent years, exhibitions have included:
In 2011, world-famous Chinese contemporary artist
Looking at Robert's work, I was very touched, and glad to see the artistry and youth in each individual piece. Using weathered wood and tree roots as his main medium, Robert's art largely relies on the magic and strangeness of natural found objects. He begins with a good eye and fine artisanship, but then he goes further, bringing out the hidden beauty or ugliness in each piece. In the process, the artistry becomes evident and the works become charismatic.
In 2014, he was one of two hundred leading American artists asked to create a work for the highly successful Fabergè Big Egg Hunt New York[15] and continues to expand his talent to this day.
Personal life
He is married to Dr. Vishakha N. Desai, a specialist on Asian art, who stepped down as President of the Asia Society in 2012, and is currently Special Advisor for Global Affairs to the President of Columbia University and Senior Advisor for Global Policy and Programs to the Director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation.[16]
Bibliography
Books
- A Fractured Mind: My Life with Multiple Personality Disorder. (Author) Hyperion Press, 2005.
- Ming: A Novel of Seventeenth-Century China.(Author) St. Martin's Press, 1995.
- Japan, Korea and China: American Perceptions and Policies. (Co-Author) Lexington Books, D.C. Heath and Company, 1979.
- Dragon and Eagle: United States-China Relations, Past and Future. (Co-Editor) Basic Books, 1978.
- Ruling from Horseback: Manchu Politics in the Oboi Regency, 1661-1669. (Author) University of Chicago Press, 1975.
Select articles
- "Launching Pad—PhD, Target—TBD", in Perspectives on History: The Newsmagazine of the American Historical Association, October 2014.
- "An Interview with Robert Oxnam", in Orientations: The Magazine for Collectors and Connoisseurs of Asian Art, May 2013.
- "Chinese Scholars Rocks: Traditional Legacies, Modern Inspirations", in Art and Rocks: Nature Found and Made Exhibition Catalogue, Chambers Fine Art, July 2009.
References
- ^ "Robert B. Oxnam, Recipient of Bicentennial Medal" June 1993
- ^ "Robert B. Oxnam Named President of Asia Society" The New York Times, May 15, 1981
- ^ "Host Robert Oxnam reviews a compilation of reports which focus on China's economy, government and military"
- ^ "China briefing, 1981"
- ^ "Robert B. Oxnam's Foreign Affairs author page" 1979-1992
- ^ "A Fractured Mind by Robert B. Oxnam"
- ^ "Inside a Fractured Mind, Morley Safer Talks To A Distinguished Scholar Who Lives With Strange Company" 2005
- ^ "Dealing With the Nightmare of Containing Multitudes" October 1, 2005
- ^ "Me, My Selves & I," March 13, 2006
- ^ "Robert B. Oxnam is a Senior Advisor at the Bessemer Trust Company"
- ^ "Art and Rocks: Nature Found and Made" featuring artist Robert Oxnam, Summer 2009
- ^ "Great Wall Photographs and Driftwood Sculptures Inspired by Chinese Scholars Rocks Comprise Inaugural Exhibition" October 8, 2009
- ^ "New Works by Robert Oxnam" September 22, 2010
- ^ "Nature Incorporated featuring artist, Robert Oxnam" Spring 2013
- ^ "Robert Oxnam, Egg #160" April 2014
- ^ "Head of Asia Society Is Moving On" May 8, 2012